These heartwarming pictures show Syrians burning niqabs, cutting off their beards and smoking cigarettes after being freed from ISIS control.

The Syria Democratic Forces, with air support from coalition fighters, said last week they had taken almost complete control of Manbij, where a small number of ISIS fighters had been holed up.

Some of the pictures show women smoking cigarettes – an activity that is prohibited by the jihadis because it is against the harsh form of Sharia law.

In others groups of men can be seen cutting off their beards while women are photographed burning their niqabs.

The Syrian Democratic Forces operation was launched in May in the city of Manbij

Civilians react after they were evacuated by SDF fighters (Image: Reuters)

Men could be seen cutting off their beards in groups (Image: Reuters)

The SDF has been attempting to take control of the city since May (Image: Reuters)

The SDF's offensive, which began at the end of May, aimed to remove Islamic State from areas it controls along the Turkish border, which was for years a route through which the group moved fighters and weapons.

Read More

The convoy carried the final Islamic State members leaving the city, under an agreement between the fighting parties that would not be announced officially, the Observatory said, marking the end of the operation.